Capital’s Party Secretary Nguyễn Duy Ngọc delivers his speech at a meeting of the Hà Nội Party Standing Committee with leaders of provinces and cities in the Capital Region on Thursday.— VNA/VNS Photo Tuấn Anh

HÀ NỘI — A robust mechanism for regional development can only take shape if Hà Nội and neighbouring provinces clearly identify shared priorities and pursue joint solutions, leaders heard at a high-level meeting this week as the capital advances a master plan with a 100-year vision.

Neighbouring provinces need a common understanding of how satellite urban areas around Hà Nội should be defined, their quality benchmarks and development pathways, alongside a long-term vision to connect them effectively with the capital as the regional hub.

Secretary of the city Party Committee Nguyễn Duy Ngọc set out these requirements while chairing a meeting of the Hà Nội Party Standing Committee with leaders of provinces and cities in the Capital Region on Thursday. The meeting focused on the proposed Master Plan for the Capital with a 100-year outlook.

Ngọc said that in recent months Hà Nội had actively sought opinions from key Party and State leaders as well as central ministries and agencies on the formulation of the long-term master plan, a draft resolution to replace the Politburo’s Resolution No.15-NQ/TW and proposed amendments to the Capital Law.

These efforts, he said, aim to serve the development of Hà Nội, the wider region and the country as a whole in a new era.

He called for the development of shared standards for regional connectivity, particularly in areas such as urban railways, waterways, road transport, metro systems and river environmental management.

Ngọc added that the revised Capital Law is expected to be submitted for consultation to the National Assembly Standing Committee and central agencies in the first quarter of this year, before being tabled at the first session of the 16th National Assembly. The replacement of Resolution No.15-NQ/TW is to be submitted to the Politburo in February, while the Capital’s master plan with a 100-year vision will be presented on schedule.

Given the demanding timeline, he urged neighbouring provinces to closely follow Hà Nội’s roadmap and provide timely and substantive input, contributing to the development of long-term and sustainable institutional and planning pillars for the capital and the Capital Region.

A long-term vision

At the conference, Dương Đức Tuấn, Standing Deputy Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, presented the proposed master plan.

Under the plan, Hà Nội seeks to translate the Party and State’s strategic directions into concrete planning solutions reflecting a vision of the capital as a city of culture, identity and creativity.

The capital is to be restructured along a multi-polar, multi-centre and multi-layered urban model, developing into a cultured, civilised and modern city that is green, clean and liveable, with balanced urban-rural development and resilience to climate change.

As the core growth pole of the region and the nation, Hà Nội is expected to generate breakthrough momentum, targeting double-digit economic growth.

“This requires a vision extending not only to 100 years but beyond, commensurate with the role of the capital of a high-income, socialist-oriented developed country,” he said.

Hà Nội is envisaged as a driving force with strong spillover effects for the Hồng (Red) River Delta, the Capital Region, the Northern Key Economic Zone and the country at large.

On that basis, the city proposes shifting from a planning horizon of 2065 to a strategic vision of 100 years and beyond, with development scenarios mapped out for milestones in 2030, 2035, 2045, 2050, 2065, 2085 and 2100.

Under the national master plan and regional linkage framework, Hà Nội is positioned as the centre of the Red River Delta region, linked with Thái Nguyên, Bắc Ninh, Hải Phòng, Quảng Ninh, Hưng Yên and Ninh Bình, and of the Capital Region, which also includes Phú Thọ.

The capital’s development space would be expanded and more tightly integrated with surrounding sub-regions.

Hà Nội is expected to act as the principal coordinator and growth engine across sectors including road, rail, inland waterway and air transport; regional and international finance, banking, trade and logistics; industrial and agricultural development; technology research and transfer; high-quality human resource training; healthcare; tourism; and environmental management, ensuring sustainable development in terms of air quality and water resources.

Broad consensus, specific proposals

Representatives of central ministries and localities largely expressed strong support for the proposed master plan, as well as for the orientation to amend Resolution No.15-NQ/TW and the Capital Law 2024. They underscored Hà Nội’s role as the core nucleus and growth pole driving the development of the Capital Region and the nation, while enhancing international integration.

Secretary of Hưng Yên Province's Party Committee Nguyễn Hữu Nghĩa said the province had identified comprehensive connectivity with Hà Nội as a consistent priority in its 2021–30 provincial plan, including the planning of six bridges across the Red River.

He proposed adding the Triều Dương Bridge to connect Hưng Yên’s provincial road 427 with Hà Nội’s Thường Tín area and clarifying the alignment of the Đông Ninh Bridge to ensure consistency with Hà Nội’s Ring Roads 4 and 5.

Nghĩa also called for greater attention to underground space and urban rail systems in the master plan.

Hưng Yên has already planned five urban railway lines, most of which are oriented towards Hà Nội.

He suggested that Hà Nội’s metro lines, particularly Line No. 8, should be designed to connect seamlessly with Hưng Yên’s network, facilitating commuting, supporting population redistribution and easing pressure on the capital’s inner wards.

He also highlighted the untapped potential of inland waterway transport along the Red River.

Phú Thọ Province Party Secretary Phạm Đại Dương said the province’s newly announced adjusted plan positions Phú Thọ as a satellite area closely integrated with Hà Nội’s development.

He called for stronger coordination on inter-regional issues such as environmental protection, transport, population distribution and industrial development.

He also urged Hà Nội to share detailed plans for both banks of the Red River, enabling Phú Thọ to extend a continuous riverside landscape northwards to Việt Trì City over around 70km.

In addition, he proposed joint development of tourism routes along the Red and Đà rivers linking Lào Cai, Phú Thọ and Hà Nội, and the establishment of coordinated investment mechanisms in border areas such as Ba Vì to ensure spatial coherence.

Deputy Finance Minister Trần Quốc Phương praised the master plan for its thorough preparation and long-term vision, noting its balanced integration of socio-economic, urban and rural planning.

However, he emphasised the need to further strengthen coordination mechanisms between Hà Nội and neighbouring provinces, ensuring consistency in planning perspectives and directions.

He also called for a more robust regional coordination model with clear commitments and binding mechanisms to avoid fragmented and uncoordinated implementation.

Minister of Agriculture and Environment Trần Đức Thắng affirmed his ministry’s commitment to actively and responsibly work with Hà Nội and other localities to finalise the report, submit it to competent authorities for approval and support its effective implementation. — VNS